Meeting Ground Board of Directors

Ends Policies

Adopted October 18, 2004

Meeting Ground, a community of faith, hope and love, exists so that persons who are or have experienced homelessness can realize God’s dream for them.

Accordingly:

1. Residents have a home and experience a sense of community. Residents:

(a) secure affordable housing

(b) realize a life without violence

(c) have opportunities for education and counseling to meet their needs

(d) have opportunities to experience spiritual growth and hope

(e) have adequate food, shelter and clothing

(f) have opportunities to contribute their strengths and skills to the community

(g) have a right to be heard, a right to privacy and a right for expectations to be clear.

2. Community members are awakened to God’s call for them. Community members:

(a) have a sense of belonging

(b) are supported in living out their faith convictions

(c) recognize their spiritual needs

(d) are open to God’s call

(e) model spiritual growth for each other

(f) express God’s love for each other

(g) are accepted for who they are and where they are on their journey

(h) community member’s gifts and abilities are recognized and valued.

3. The general public is aware of and supports the elimination of homelessness; by

(a) increased knowledge of homelessness

(b) providing more affordable housing

(c) lobbying for more federal, state and local funding for programs

(d) promoting better understanding in the media of root causes of homelessness

(e) supporting additional homeless shelters in neighboring counties

(f) raising awareness in schools of the problems that lead to homelessness

4. The broader community of faith realizes better ways of doing rewarding mission---

(a) that all faith communities understand homelessness, its causes and effects

(b) that all faith communities have a sense of equality and justice for all people

(c) that all faith communities understand the moral failure of our society---racism, classism, prejudice---and how these contribute to homelessness

(d) that all faith communities accept their mission of helping individual persons who have or are experiencing homelessness

(e) that all faith communities, in humility, will invite all to participate fully regardless of needs, differences or gifts.